


A Life Well Spent.

by Its_Just_Chemistry



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Father Figures, Gen, Light Angst, Nostalgia, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark's Birthday, Tony-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 16:02:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10902726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Its_Just_Chemistry/pseuds/Its_Just_Chemistry
Summary: "I'll always be here for you, Mr. Stark."On May 29, 1993, Edwin Jarvis passed away of grief, two years after the deaths of both Howard and Maria Stark, and on the day of Anthony Stark's 23rd birthday.





	A Life Well Spent.

**Author's Note:**

> Slight angst, only it's not angst because I'm very bad at this. Oh well.  
> AU in which human Jarvis was in the MCU before computer J.A.R.V.I.S. and has passed away.
> 
> Characterization is probably off.
> 
> Also yes, I am still in this fandom. I always shall be.  
> And yes I will be continuing the Rhodey Tony stack, heck I even have a new fic in the works right now. I'm so sorry for the lack of marvel updates on my account!
> 
> But anyways,
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

"Welcome home Mr. Stark."

And suddenly a cone with orange stripes is now on his head. Because today,

is Tony Stark's twelfth birthday.

"I've thrown you a bit of a surprise party. So...surprise!"

And even though the only people at the table are himself and Jarvis, it still makes the difference. The fact that Jarvis is even here at all, _matters_.

The fact that there's cake, _matters_.

  
_"Happy birthday to you."_

 

The fact that there's even _one_ present, _matters_.

  
_"Happy birthday to you."_

 

And Jarvis is _smiling_.

  
_"Happy birthday, dear Tony,"_

 

Smiling, because he was _actually happy to be here._

  
_"happy birthday to~ you!"_

 

This was not part of the job description. No, Jarvis definitely wasn't obliged to do this- and yet, here he was. A matching party hat atop a neat, brown combover.

And then there was confetti.

"Would you like to open your present Mr. Stark?"

And Tony just nods, as a box wrapped in green paper is being placed in his hands. He rips away the wrapping, feeling like a boy on Christmas.

Only Tony doesn't know what that's supposed to feel like.

But as he pulls out the contents of the box, it suddenly occurs to him that he's been in possession of all the money in the world, to buy himself whatever gift it is he'd dreamed of. He could've asked for a plane, he could've asked for a yacht,

and yet,

compared to the small, framed picture in his hands,

a picture of Tony and his father, and his mother,

and Jarvis,

none of those things mattered.

Because the fact that Jarvis had _cared_ enough to get him _anything_ , was already enough.

 

  
__

 

  
Tony wobbles out the door.

The back door.

No one ever questions what it is Tony does every year, on the one night where he heads out into the backyard, a beer bottle in hand--

Tony drinks, they know that.--

But by the time Tony's completely and utterly wasted, everyone within a twenty mile radius is fast asleep.

Which means they can't hear him screaming.

Screaming for his father to come back.

But he doesn't call for Howard.

He _never_ calls for Howard.

Howard had had his chance.

Howard had lost his chance.

  
Tony calls for Jarvis.

Tony cries for Jarvis.

Tony cries.

Tony screams.

He screams at the world for taking what had been most important, what had put him together when he'd fallen apart.

Tony could never understand why the world was so cruel.

Maybe it didn't have any friends.

And it's only when Tony can feel the cool, moist grass underneath him that he knows this isn't another drunken fantasy,

that Jarvis really has gone away.

Tony shuts his eyes as tears flow,

as tears pool.

The taste of salt is somehow comforting.

Tony can just picture what it was like when his butler would come out and grab him. No matter the time, no matter how ungodly the hour, Edwin Jarvis would be there to scoop the miniature Mr. Stark into his arms and drop him into bed, pulling up the sheets the way Maria always did.

Tony curses the world for taking that man away from him,

as he screams into an abyss of both silence and self pity.

 

___

 

  
Tony cries in the workshop, ducked silently behind the table.

He sobs quietly.

And even though he's nothing more than just a rather very intelligent system, J. A. R. V. I. S. can somehow sense the disturbance in Tony's poor, broken mind.

But it doesn't fit into any mathematical formula within his programming.

It doesn't match anything in his software, as a matter of fact,

save for the file of excess code J. A. R. V. I. S. had created himself, in order to handle the situation.

The lights are out within the workshop, but suddenly a blue haze shines dimly, as videos play onto a screen J. A. R. V. I. S. had pulled down.

Videos of the original Edwin Jarvis,

and the minor of the Stark family.

  
_"Mr. Stark, you shouldn't play with your food like that..."_

 

They're Maria's tapes,

  
_"I want dessert first!"_

 

an entire five hour compilation,

filled with the many, _many_ years of Tony Stark's life.

  
_"But you need your vegetables sir, they're good for you-"_

_Tony had then thrown his food at Jarvis._

_Maria's laughter is quite audible in the background._

 

J. A. R. V. I. S. can hear Mr. Stark's sobbing fall silent.

Though the hurt never seems to truly disappear.


End file.
